Hope
by MakingMatcha
Summary: Set during the movie. In the wake of Easter's disaster, there is still hope. Oneshot.


They spent a long miserable hour trying to collect themselves, moods low and, in Bunny's case, emotions flying high. He was already beginning to shrink, and there wasn't anything to do about it. That's what Tooth kept repeating to herself, under her breath. _Nothing to do about it. Nothing to do_.

She tried to convince herself it wasn't the lowest she'd ever been. But it probably was. And it was worse, than being alone, struggling to comfort herself, because it was all of them. They were all suffering, and the fact that they were together didn't help. At all. She missed the hum of the fairies, the gentle stream of memories, flowing in and out with the moist jungle breeze. She missed glittering incisors and sparkling molars and the twittering stories her little ones would bring back from the world beyond. She missed the low vibrato of her wings at her back, and that was when she sank to her knees and choked on a sob. This was real. This was happening. And there was nothing to do.

North knelt next to her with great effort. His large fingers found the nesting doll, the "tiny wooden baby" Jack had discarded when he'd flown off.

"Toothie," he said somberly. "We must go." She could only nod weakly. She didn't have the heart to ask: _go where?_ She helped the old man rise to his feet and went over to collect Bunny. The rabbit was almost just that, a rabbit. He sat on his haunches and stared at his paws and trembled lightly. The light had all but faded from his eyes.

"Bunny," Tooth said quietly. He shook his head, ears twitching. "We need to leave." She was surprised at the wavering of her own voice. He shook his head again. "Please, Bunny. There's nothing we can do." Her voice broke. She bit her lip. This was so much worse than losing Sandman. They were losing themselves. She could feel it, they all could. The belief was fading, fast.

Bunnymund looked up at her, and for a moment neither could get around the naked pain in each other's gaze. Then Bunny stood-on all fours- and hopped over to where North was holding one of his last snowglobes. Tooth followed silently, arms wrapped around herself. If she had the heart, she would have teased Bunny about his diminutive size. _Jack_ would have. Her face screwed up in anger as she followed the other two through the portal.

They came out next to the warmth of North's fireplace. The pole was a mess- papers flying everywhere, half-finished toys lying haphazardly about, all covered in a fine layer of black sand.

"Pitch was here," she said needlessly. North nodded, and hobbled off. Bunny followed, and then finally Tooth. They couldn't bring themselves to look at the globe. Around them, stray elves jingled about, not sure what to do with themselves. Several diligent yetis were doing their best to clean up the damage. One came over to help North into his study, where the three guardians gathered. As they settled in front of the fire, a somber-eyed yeti came in with hot chocolate.

"Really?" Tooth asked, still a bit angry. North sighed and took his mug, and Bunny already seemed to be drowning his sorrows.

"What else can we do?" North's eyes were sad; he had given up. "No more believers. Soon..." But he didn't say what would happen soon, they all knew. They would fade away. Tooth looked at her mug disdainfully for a moment before taking a sip. There was no point in worrying over her teeth at this point- bring on the sugar.

After a while, Bunny began to look a little better. Well, not _better_. But there was life in eyes, and he looked less set on wasting away to nothing. The power of hope, Tooth reasoned. North reached over to his desk and picked up a tiny blue object, looking over it absently. Tooth glanced over and then furrowed her brow sourly when she realized what it was. It was a tiny nesting doll, like North had, except this figure was of Jack. North saw her expression and looked at her sadly. She exchanged a glance with Bunny. North broke the silence.

"He was tricked." A moment passed. "You know," the Russian said gently. "You know how Pitch is." Tooth blinked back angry tears, surprised by her own reaction. She huffed.

"But Baby Tooth!" she sputtered, no longer able to keep her emotions in check. "How-how could he-" Tooth couldn't form the words for her sudden anger, despite her fondness for Jack, despite everything. Perhaps _because_ of her fondness for Jack. She smoothed her feathers back, trying to calm herself. Trying not to notice when several came loose from her head and fluttered to the floor.

"He saved her, ya know," Bunny said, his voice thick with emotion. "Baby Tooth." Toothiana's expression softened. Of course, she knew that already. Baby Tooth had told her as much. But it was Bunny's voice that melted her anger, because it meant that even after everything, some part of him had forgiven Jack. And if Bunny, who had been most wronged by that betrayal, could forgive him, so could the rest of them. Tooth looked at Bunny, who was watching her with tears glittering in his eyes. Hope. North was staring sadly at the nesting doll.

"I think," he said, in that gentle, grandfatherly tone of admonishment, "we need to apologize." Tooth and Bunny both looked down. "We all do."

"Is there even any time?" she had to ask.

"Is least we can do," North said, standing with an effort and pocketing the doll. "We did not just fail children. We failed each other."

Tooth shook her head sadly; how they had fallen apart after Sandy's death. She picked up Bunny and the trio slowly made for the sleigh room.

When they passed the globe, North looked straight ahead and Tooth kept her head down, looking only at the floor, or her feet, or Bunny's ears twitching up as he dared to take a glance. His eyes were very bright suddenly.

"Mates. Oi!" he shouted when Tooth didn't stop walking. North paused and turned back. Bunny was pointing one tiny paw toward the globe. "There's still time!" They turned, and there, shining in the blank space of the map, was a single twinkle of hope in the darkness. One light was still lit.

"There's still one believer," Toothiana breathed, and the wonder had returned to North's face.

"To sleigh!" he bellowed. "Quickly! We find last light, _then_ we find Jack," he said firmly, hobbling forward with newfound vigor. "And _then_ we will start over again," he finished seriously.

Tooth rushed after him with Bunny in tow, not quite daring to smile.


End file.
